During the process of obtaining a new concessionaire for accommodations at Yosemite, the park service has learned the previous company contrived to own the names we all know and love. To get around the issue, the Park Service must change all the names, at least in the short term, including the Ahwanee, soon to be the Majestic Yosemite Hotel.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...115-story.html

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2...y-badger-pass/

I heard something about it, feeling sad, something familiar going away.

So wrong.

VERY wrong, and the new names are dreadful. I suppose, though, that all of us who know the park will continue to use the long-time names. I remember Camp Curry back in the early 60s, long before the litigious concessionaire ever arrived.

It sounds like the old names will come back eventually, after an exact number of our tax dollars in ransom is agreed upon. What I don't understand is why, with all the lawyers that must be on the payroll of the National Park Service/Dept. of Interior, how it came to pass that The People didn't own those names. I'll bet there's a mountain of paperwork in process now for others similarly unprotected.

The company that owns the names gave millions to the US government over the last 50 years... They also spent millions in marketing... Development of the properties, and maintenance ... Then the park service decided to rebid and pull the contract for more $$$...

It's like raising a child to age 20 and having the government sell the kid to a higher bidder...

The bigger question is, why did Delaware North think for one minute that it "owned" those names? Do you seriously believe that they "gave millions to the US government"? They made millions in a Park owned by the people of the US. The Park Service did not renew the contract because the company was not doing a great job.

This company is insidious. They used to run Old Town San Diego, but were kicked out for doing a very, very poor job.

They still have the contracts for food service at Qualcomm Stadium, Petco Park, and many other places you likely visit.

I bit my tongue over the "gave millions", with no additional information to back up, shall we say, my skepticism. Thanks Barbara, for the insight regarding San Diego. My husband worked for years as a park planner for the NPS and with their limited resources I know if it ain't broke, they don't try to fix it. So I had to assume there was good reason to replace the company.